All 15 artisanal miners who found themselves trapped at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga near Mutare last week due to a shaft collapse were successfully rescued yesterday. The Government utilized advanced technology to pinpoint their exact location underground, leading to a coordinated effort by teams from local mining companies, including Metallon Corporation, the owner of Redwing Mine, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, and others. The miners were brought to safety four days after the incident.
Expressing satisfaction with the rescue mission, Mines and Mining Development Minister Zhemu Soda commended the collaborative efforts of the rescue teams, ensuring the survival of all miners. This outcome defied earlier speculations, especially in opposition politics, where initial reports had wrongly asserted the demise of all trapped miners.
The 15 individuals who were rescued have been identified as Tatenda Gumbo, Kudakwashe Mucharwa, Simbarashe Siziba, Godson Mandimutsa, Owen Jaison, Maxwell Matsangomba, Joseph Sithole, Promise Gumbo, Akim Tarambira, Conrad Tsiga, Brian Mucharwa, Robson Magamba, Believe Mutema, Kodzana Dzina, and Douglas Mhlanga.
Said Minister Soda: “Initially we had four that came out and now we have a total of 15 that have been rescued. We want to thank the Lord who has made these people survive.
“What we got from them (the rescued) is that the whole mine underground is collapsed and this must be known by everyone. An assessment will have to be done before operations or activities resume at this mine.
“But we are grateful that all of them have survived. I want to thank everybody who has participated in this rescue operation: all Government departments and the community around as well as others in the mining industry such as Freda Rebecca who came in with all forms of assistance.”
Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo highlighted the country’s possession of cutting-edge technology capable of effectively responding to such accidents and facilitating rescues.
“We are all happy because the rescue operation was a success and the level of coordination among Government and the private sector was excellent, led by the Civil Protection Unit of Zimbabwe,” said Minister Moyo.
“Other mines also joined in this rescue operation; it was a well-coordinated rescue operation. We are very happy that Zimbabwe has the capabilities and technologies to rescue its people when we have challenges or accidents of this nature.
“Those who were trapped were also very professional. I am told that when the mine collapsed, they went deeper down to ensure they will not be hit by the falling debris.
“I also want to thank their families who were very cooperative while waiting for the completion of the rescue mission,” said Minister Moyo.
Advocate Misheck Mugadza, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, noted that stakeholders had nearly abandoned hope during the rescue operations.
“The truth of the matter is that there was cooperation between all Government departments. We also appreciate the dedication that we got from our Minister of Mines and Mining Development who was here for the past two days to see to it that we retrieve our children,” said Minister Mugadza
Contrary to social media allegations, the rescued artisanal miners were registered and legally operating under Redwing Mine. The mine is situated next to the mining area of Mabvuku-Tafara legislator Cde Scott Sakupwanya, although the trapped miners were not his employees.
Inaccurate reports circulating on social media had erroneously claimed that 100 artisanal miners were trapped, while the actual number was 15.
